Accountability over P1.2B Isabela bridge collapse sought

A lawmaker on Saturday called for accountability in the partial collapse of the newly constructed P1.2-billion Cabagan-Sta. Maria Bridge in Isabela.

The incident, which occurred on Thursday night, resulted in injuries to six individuals, including a child.

The Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) has initiated a probe into the incident, noting that the third span of the bridge from the Cabagan side collapsed after a dump truck carrying boulders, weighing approximately 102 tons, traversed it.

"Tulad ng sinabi ko nung Huwebes ng gabi pa lang (as I stated on Thursday evening)—heads must roll," said Senator Ramon "Bong" Revilla Jr.

He urged the DPWH to complete its investigation and promptly release the findings.

Revilla also called for the blacklisting and penalization of the contractor, insisting that they undertake the necessary repairs without imposing additional costs on the public. 

He also stressed that DPWH engineers responsible for overseeing the project to be held accountable.

“Billions of funds are spent on public infrastructure and the minimum requirement should be structural integrity. Hindi maaari ang trabahong basta na,” Revilla said.

The DPWH has sought assistance from experts in the Bureau of Design and Bureau of Construction to conduct a thorough evaluation and assessment of the collapse. 

Initial retrofitting was performed in March 2023 to enhance the bridge's resilience against seismic activity, aligning it with updated design codes. However, the excessive weight of the dump truck appears to have been critical. —Sherylin Untalan/ VAL, GMA Integrated News